Creating a Taste-Testing Event: A Resource for School Nutrition Professionals

Nutrition standards for school meals are in the process of gradual updates through the next several years. These updates through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and will include decreasing added sugars, including added sugars in flavored milk, a slight reduction in sodium, and support for schools to include a greater variety of whole grains and foods that support vegetarian diets. There will also be increased support to purchase local foods. (1)

These changes will result in new foods and new recipes for students to try at school. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service suggests, "Taste-tests are a great way to introduce new menu items and get students excited to try healthy food choices." (2) School cafeterias are ideal settings to promote healthy food choices for students and the entire school community. A taste-testing in the school cafeteria is a fun activity to introduce students to nutrient-packed foods. Positive feedback from classmates and teachers can encourage reluctant students to try new foods. One bite can lead to a healthy eating habit for a lifetime. A taste-testing can consist of single food items such as vegetables and fruits, or a new recipe under consideration for the school breakfast or lunch menu. (See box for Suggested Foods for Taste-Testing)

Getting Started

1. First, consult with your school nurse to identify any food allergies or intolerances among students, and ensure those foods are excluded from the taste-testing.
2. Choose foods that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, focusing on recommended food groups to increase - vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy.
3. Consider a new recipe, vegetable, fruit or other food item to add to your menu or an existing item that you would like to highlight. A taste-testing can help uncover why an item is undersold – whether students aren't noticing it or simply don't enjoy it. A taste-testing is a great way to get valuable insight.
4. Educate students on the "Don't Yuck My Yum" rule. This will encourage them to be respectful of others' food preferences and to avoid making negative comments about what others enjoy eating. It promotes a positive attitude towards food and helps children understand that it's okay to have different tastes.
5. Keep costs down. Try a USDA recipe from MyPlate Recipes.

Make It an Event

1. Promote local, seasonal foods. Invite a local farmer to participate or sample a vegetable grown in the school's garden or at a local farm.
2. Let them vote! Pick two or three items you are considering for a taste-test. Then, poll students, staff, administrators, teachers, and parents to see which they would most like to sample. The school community will take greater interest if they are part of the planning.
3. Choose where you would like to set up the taste-test: on the service line, at a special table at the cafeteria entrance, or on a mobile cart brought to the students' tables. Consider your staffing and logistical needs to determine which set-up works best for you.
4. Check out USDA FNS Resources to help host and plan taste-testing events. (2)

Don't forget to determine how to collect student feedback. Use a simple survey or provide tokens or paper "ballots" to taste-testers. Have them place it in a "Yes, I like it" box or a "No, I don't like it yet" box. Involve some older students with the tabulations and share the results with the entire school community. Based on the results, what are your plans? Will you offer the item as a menu component, on the salad bar, or as an à la carte item? Be sure you share your decision with the school community and thank them for their participation. Students enjoy knowing that their input matters. Finally, post the results on the school website so parents and caregivers are aware, and share the recipe and/or preparation method on the next month's menu and on the school's website, so families can try it at home.

Safety First

Food allergies can affect people of all ages and are a very serious issue. Before selecting a food or recipe to taste-test, check with the school nurse to identify foods to avoid due to student allergies or food sensitivities. Always review ideas for new foods and recipes with the school nurse. Clearly label food ingredients if samples are not single foods. (e.g., roasted butternut squash with olive oil and cinnamon.)

Practice safe food handling. Follow your district's food handling policies. Be sure students and volunteers wash their hands properly before handling any food. To ensure clean hands, follow hand washing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention below or at About Handwashing.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
2. Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end, twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Spreading the Word

Once you have determined the food you would like to taste test, promotion is key. Notify parents via your school's newsletter, monthly menu, and/or website. Some schools require permission slips to allow students to participate in a taste-testing. Be sure students with food allergies or food sensitivities are known to their teachers and your staff.

Invite teachers, administrators, and parents to join the taste-testing in the cafeteria. Their support and excitement encourage students to participate. Collaborate with your school's administration to include reminders during the morning announcements.

Starting a countdown a few days or a week leading up to the taste-testing can create excitement. Use a calendar posted in or just outside the cafeteria to cross off the days prior to the taste-testing. Decorating with posters, streamers, and other decorations can also draw attention to your taste-testing.

Get Creative

1. Coordinate your taste-testing with other celebrations such as National School Lunch Week (October), Heart Health Month (February), or National Nutrition Month (March).
2. For Read Across America Day (March) choose a recipe inspired by a favorite story such as the following.
   1. Marcia Brown's Stone Soup
   2. Lois Ehler's Growing Vegetable Soup and Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z
   3. Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar
   4. Katherine Pryor's Sylvia's Spinach or Zora's Zucchini
   5. Lauren Child's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
   6. Lynne Cherry's How Groundhog's Garden Grew
3. Invite the principal, parents, high school students, or a local "celebrity" such as the mayor, police officer, firefighter, or local athlete to read the book during lunchtime.
4. Use creative and descriptive names for vegetables to increase their selection. Younger children like whimsical names such as "X-Ray Vision Carrots" and "Super Strength Spinach" whereas older children respond better to descriptive names such as "Crunchy Snap Peas" and "Fresh from the Garden Baby Greens." Involve a group of students to help with the naming. Display names close to your samplings.
5. Feature Vegetable and/or Fruit of the Month promotions throughout the year. Base your taste-testing activities on the seasonal vegetable or fruit highlighted that month.
6. Invite a local chef or use your own showmanship skills to demonstrate the recipe you are taste-testing. Film the demonstration and use it to publicize your program with the local media.
7. Form partnerships with teachers, the principal, and curriculum coordinator. Select a food for your taste-test that supplements a unit being studied. For example, provide food from different regions of the country to complement a history lesson, a vegetable grown in the school garden or a local farm to complement a science lesson, or a new recipe to bring a literature lesson to life.
8. Thank taste-testers with small giveaways, such as a sticker, pencil, or eraser.

Don't be discouraged if students are underwhelmed by a taste-tested food. Some children are wary of new foods. It may take several exposures to a food before it is accepted. Try serving specific food in different ways or forms to see which works best with your students. For example, try sampling chickpeas on their own, in soups, salads, or pasta dishes, in a recipe for hummus, or roasted and lightly seasoned. Regardless, have fun and role model positive behavior. Encourage, but do not force children to try new foods.

Sources

1. USDA. Biden-Harris Administration Announces New School Meal Standards to Strengthen Child Nutrition. Accessed April 2025.
2. USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Taste-testing Event Resources. Accessed April 2025.
3. USDA MyPlate. MyPlate Recipes. Accessed April 2025.
4. CDC Clean Hands. About Handwashing. Accessed April 2025.

Additional Resource

• Information on the USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP)

 

September 2025